Fletcher Allen revises charity care policy

Fletcher Allen Health Care has revised its charity care policy to comply with new IRS rules with the result that some uninsured or underinsured patients will have to pay more for care they receive at the state's largest hospital. The policy change comes in response to new IRS requirements that are part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for hospitals to keep their nonprofit status, according to Shannon Lonergan, Fletcher Allen's director of registration and customer service. A recent New York Times story on reductions in charity care, which mentioned Fletcher Allen, said the policy changes are meant to encourage people to purchase insurance through the ACA-mandated exchanges.